CHARLOTTE, N.C. —  Tori Purdy drives around with a mat in his car so he can pull it out and dance whenever he feels inspired. He’s a Virginia-born breakdancer, who has been breaking for 13 years.

What You Need To Know

  • Breakdancing is a form of art in the Black community

  • Breaker Tori Purdy says the Charlotte breaking community is expansive and ever growing

  • Breakers from around the state will come together during Juneteenth for a cypher

Purdy embraces hip-hop culture as a lifestyle, from graffiti art to dance, which he says provides him a creative outlet and a community, which he found in Charlotte.

“Charlotte has a pretty big scene. They get together a lot at Camp North End,” Purdy said.

Purdy said he’s excited for people to see Charlotte’s break dancing community in action at the upcoming Durag Festival, as breakers prepare their best moves for the breakdancing cypher.

“We all have our different styles, and we’ll represent that on the dance floor, but it’s all love in the end. What makes hip hop is love,” he said.

He said the tight-knit group supports each other, dancing together whenever they feel inspired. Purdy said breakdancing also provides a positive outlet for people of all ages.

“It was from a lot of kids who were in poverty, who wanted to do positive things in their community. They wanted to express themselves in different ways besides the violence that was going on,” Purdy said.

Purdy said he understands not everyone is as interested in breakdancing or listening to hip hop as he is, but everyone can learn something from the breaking community.

“If it can inspire breakers to get down from every walk of life, it can inspire everyone to come together and be united,” he said.

The break dancing cypher will be held at the Nascar Hall of Fame as one of the events for the Durag Festival.